In Jain Dharma, “nikachit” is not a separate kind of karma‑prakṛiti, but a special, very rigid state of already‑bound karma.

Once karma becomes nikachit, its result must be experienced; it cannot be:

• reduced,
• increased,
• changed to another type,
• or brought out / postponed early.

It will definitely give its fixed sukha (pleasure) or duḥkha (pain) when its time comes.

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1. General idea: how karma becomes “nikachit”

Every karma‑bandh has 4 parts:

1. Prakṛiti-bandh – which type of karma (jñānāvaraṇ, vedanīya, etc.).
2. Sthiti-bandh – for how long it stays.
3. Ras / Anubhāga-bandh – how strong / intense its result will be.
4. Pradeś-bandh – how much karmic matter is bound.

Nikachit mainly relates to the intensity part: when the passions (kaṣāya) at the time of doing are extreme and deep‑rooted, the bondage becomes so tight that later:

• no repentance,
• no pratikramaṇ,
• no tapa,

can change that particular bondage. That is called nikachit‑bandh.

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2. Ashubh (pāp) nikachit karma – how it is bound

Ashubh / pāp karma becomes nikachit when:

1. The act itself is very heavy

– intense hiṁsā, cheating many people, breaking trust of a saint, serious sexual misconduct, etc.

1. Intention is full of strong kaṣāya

- anger with cruelty (krodh + krūra bhāva), - deep hatred or jealousy, - greed with no limit, - ego / pride in doing the wrong act (“see how powerful I am”).

1. There is joy or pride in doing the sin

- feeling santosha (inner satisfaction) after doing the wrong, - remembering it again and again with ānanda or garva (boasting to others, glorifying it).

1. No repentance at all

- no feeling “this was wrong”, - no regret, no prāyaścitta, - instead, justifying or defending the sin.

1. Repetition or strong contemplation

- repeatedly planning similar wrong acts, - keeping similar bhāva for a long time.

In such a case, the pāp karma’s intensity (anubhāga) becomes fixed and extremely strong. That specific bandha turns into ashubh nikachit karma – its painful result in some future birth is certain and unavoidable.

Classic examples often given in Jain literature:

• King Śreṇik’s strong pāp during hunting, etc. – due to severe violence with attachment and no repentance at that time – is explained as becoming nikachit.

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3. Shubh (puṇya) nikachit karma – how it is bound

Shubh / puṇya karma also can become nikachit. This is important: even auspicious karma can be so strong and fixed that its sukha‑phala must surely come.

It usually happens when:

1. The good act is very great and beneficial

- feeding and protecting thousands, - highly pure dāna to a true muni, - constructing upāśray, jinalaya, etc. with very pure feeling.

1. Bhāva is intensely prashasta (praiseworthy attachment)

- deep devotion, śraddhā, and respect, - strong desire that “many jīvas should benefit from this.”

1. There is “sweet” attachment to the puṇya

- feeling “I have done something extremely great,” - repeated happy remembrance of that act, - sometimes a little subtle pride mixed with devotion.

1. The good bhāva is steady and long‑lasting

- not just for a few minutes, but for a long period, - again and again connecting the mind to that meritorious act.

Then that puṇya‑bandh gets a very strong anubhāga and firm sthiti. Such karma becomes shubh nikachit karma – it must definitely give very high worldly sukha (e.g. great wealth, status, beauty, long life, luxurious birth, etc.).

Traditional example:

• Śālībhadra, who did very intense, large‑scale dāna with deep bhakti and joy, is often quoted as an example of puṇya which became nikachit.

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4. Technical Jain view (simple)

Scripturally, when karma becomes nikachit:

• It is said that nikacana‑karaṇa has acted on those karmas.
• That means: no other karaṇa (like utkarṣaṇa, apakarṣaṇa, saṅkramaṇa, udirāṇa, upaśama, etc.) can modify it afterwards.
• So, the form, duration and intensity of that bondage are “locked.”

Both Digambar and Śvetāmbara traditions accept the idea of nikachit karma in this sense. Differences are more in examples and detail of explanation, not in the core meaning:

• Both agree:

- some karmas become so rigid that their fruits must be experienced, - nikachit can be for pāp as well as puṇya.

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5. How to understand it practically

Signs that one may be binding ashudh nikachit karma

• Doing a serious wrong deliberately,
• enjoying or feeling proud about it,
• no regret or thought of asking for forgiveness,
• repeating the same bhāva again and again.

Signs that one may be binding shubh nikachit karma

• Doing a very big dāna / seva with exceptional inner purity,
• deep devotion and compassion,
• long‑lasting joyous remembrance of that act,
• strong wish that “let this benefit countless jīvas.”

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6. Important: what can and cannot be changed

1. Nikachit karma itself cannot be changed

- it will certainly give fruit (good or bad), - even great tapa cannot erase that particular bondage.

1. But: not all our karma is nikachit

- only a small portion becomes nikachit, - most karmas are anikachit, they can be softened, reduced, transformed, or prematurely ripened by: - samyak darśan, - vrata, tapa, dhyān, - pratikramaṇ, kṣamā, etc.

1. Even while bearing nikachit karma, our present bhāva matters

- if we suffer with sādhutā, kṣamā, and samatā, we bind less new pāp and often strong puṇya, - if we react with anger and hatred, we add new heavy pāp on top of old nikachit.

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7. Summary

• Nikachit = very rigid karma whose result is fixed and must be experienced.
• Ashubh nikachit is bound by:

- very heavy sinful act, - intense kaṣāya, - joy/pride in sin, - absence of repentance.

• Shubh nikachit is bound by:

- very great puṇya‑karmas, - deep, long‑lasting prashasta bhāva (bhakti, dāna, karuṇā), - strong sweet attachment to that good deed.

• Both Digambar and Śvetāmbara accept this basic understanding.
• Our effort should be:

- not to create new nikachit, - to weaken anikachit karmas by right faith, knowledge, conduct, and tapa, - to maintain samatā while experiencing whatever nikachit is already there.

You can see a brief explanation of “how nikachit karma is binded” here